I realized I have discussed the general topics of the Czech education system and bilingualism, but have neglected to introduce you to the school in which I work, Gymnázium Strakonice. It takes me roughly ten minutes to walk to my job, which is amazing considering I spent the last two years commuting on public transportation from Patchogue to Brooklyn, which took me two hours each way. Yet it was a sacrifice I chose to make. A sacrifice that enabled me to obtain a full-time teaching position directly out of college as well as help my family as we coped with my father's terminating cancer and later, his unfortunate passing. But, hey, I'm not looking for sympathy! I'm ecstatic that I chose the position in Brooklyn for multiple reasons, but one stands out amongst the others. For months, I had the ability to chat every morning before and after work with my father as we commuted together for part of our journeys; he worked in Manhattan. Those moments are ones I will cherish for the rest of my life! Anyway, as I was saying, I now have a ten minute walk to work. That means my alarm goes off about one hour before I actually have to leave my flat. It's the American dream!
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| Gymnázium Strakonice |
The most striking feature of my school is the colorful facades. I love how each building is a different color. It's actually one of my favorite aspects of living in the Czech Republic; all the buildings are so vibrant as you walk around town. It makes me happy inside.
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| Main Entrance |
The first day of school is not really a "first day of school" in American standards. I mean, there are some key components that are similar between the countries, but also vast differences. For example, this main entrance and patio is where all the students gathered on the first day of school, facing their teachers and the Headmaster. There was some DJ equipment and songs were playing as students chatted and enjoyed the sunny weather. Suddenly, the music stopped and the Headmaster appeared, ready to make a speech. I remember he opened up with a joke: "I know you are not happy school has begun, but you should be happy that it's not raining". Of course, he said it all in Czech and I heard tons of laughter, so I had to ask for a quick translation. Don't forget, I knew hardly any Czech before I arrived. Afterward, the Headmaster introduced the Class, or Homeroom, teachers to the students, and off the students went-- to meet with their Class teachers. They took care of some housekeeping and received their timetables, or schedules, and that was it. They left around 10:30 in the morning. School was over just as quick as it began.
In America, students are required to stay the full school day and attend each of their classes. In all honesty, the students pretty much do the same exact thing in every class. They meet their teacher, receive and review the class syllabus, which is an outline of the material they will be covering throughout the year and all of the teacher's policies, they fill out paperwork or index cards with pertinent contact information, and then there's some type of discussion or introductory activity to the course. It's a bit boring if you ask me, but quite necessary. Students tend to move around a lot or phone numbers change often, but parents neglect to fill out the necessary paperwork or update the school about the changes. Thus, each year, teachers must rely on students giving us up-to-date information. Teachers are constantly calling students' homes in America too-- when they are frequently absent, miss exams, forget to do their assignments, behave inappropriately, or there is a serious emergency. So. Many. Phone. Calls.
The yellow part of the building above includes the school library, a multi-purpose room, and the school cafeteria. The orange part of the building below includes classrooms and teacher's offices. It has an identical area on the opposite side of school, but I forgot to take a picture of it. The school is designed kind of in a zig-zag fashion. You always need to walk through the center of the building to reach a different side, which sometimes causes traffic blocks.
When you first enter the building, you see the lobby. There are tables and chairs so students can sit and chat between periods or when they have free time. There's also a vending machine, a coffee machine, and a school store where students can buy snacks and drinks throughout the day.
Before getting to the offices of the Headmaster, Deputy Headmistress, and the secretaries, you need to pass from the lobby through a kind of showroom. There are different displays in this hallway that portray the successes of the school via school field trips, competitions, community service events, and other highlights of the past and current year. These are two boards from a school trip to Romania (Rumunsko) and Rome (Roma). The school has also taken students on trips to Germany, Austria, England, and Spain! Some of the trips are for sightseeing and cultural experiences while others are to improve language skills while living with host families for a week. I love how the students are exposed to so many wonderful experiences at such a young age!
All of the school lockers are located to the right and left of the lobby. Students go directly to their lockers upon entering school. There's also a school rule that students must change their shoes upon entering, though my school is a bit lax in this department. Students take off the shoes they wore outside and put on "inside" shoes, which are usually Crocs, sandals, or Birkenstock look-a-likes. Even teachers change their shoes! The original goal was to keep the floors as clean as possible, especially during Communism. Actually, even when you go to people's houses, you take off your shoes and put on indoor shoes or slippers. I think it's a great idea because you're comfortable throughout the school/work day. Also, it definitely does keep the floors cleaner, particularly on rainy and snowy days.
Again, there are a variety of tables and benches for students to use during their free time.
This is the marvelous teacher's lounge, which really isn't used all that often since teachers have their own offices. Usually, we gather here for department meetings and birthday or name day celebrations.
I wanted to point out that there's only one copy machine for all of the teachers in the school. This is because the students mainly learn from textbooks and workbooks. The school tries not to waste too much money on paper and ink. Most of the time, the copier is just used for exams. They are not keen on wasting paper here, which tends to be the complete opposite of America. I cannot tell you how many copies I made all the time for students, especially because they were always losing them. It's kind of ridiculous and doesn't teach the students much about responsibility. Perhaps the Czech Republic is slowly making my analyze and re-think some of my teaching methods and idiosyncrasies.
This conference table is where we tend to have pow-wows, drinks, and snacks. The teacher's mailboxes are located in the teacher's lounge along with a notice board. I would have loved to have a notice board back in America. It's so convenient to view upcoming news and events in advance (even though all of the notices here are written in Czech).
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Moving on with the school tour. There are two reasons I took pictures of one of the school courtyards below. The first was to inform you that when it's warm, there are also benches outside for children to hang out and enjoy the sun in their free time. The second was to show you this awesome project my colleague, Mire, had his students do that represents Totalitarian regimes. In the background is the "leader" who is shown with a bloody head due to his toxic ideas. His real face is actually hanging in the bottom of the left window. Stemming from the face are wires that connect to posters the students made. These are all different forms of propaganda as well as realities of life under Totalitarianism, for example Hitler and Nazism and Stalin and Communism. I thought it was brilliant!
The school library and multi-purpose rooms were created within the last year at the school. Fun fact, okay, maybe it's not really "fun", but both of these rooms used to be store rooms for food during Communism. What's baffling is the size of the rooms! Communism was an awful time for the Czechs as well as many other eastern Europeans. There were times when you would have, say potatoes, all the time, then BAM, none for months and months at a time. It was like this with all types of food and commodities, so store rooms were created to try to save up food and avoid shortages. Good thing that time period is over! Now the students have an awesome library and a place for some after-school activities or presentations.
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| Library |
The walls fascinate me because they're made up of old newspaper clippings.
There are always students hanging out in the multi-purpose room. Otherwise, the school has used it for some gatherings and the school choir practices here. Sometimes I take Jumping classes at night with some fellow female teachers. I'll have to write about that experience in another post.
I originally thought that the multipurpose room was still under construction due to the fresh wood look, but then I realized it was finished, and it was supposed to look that way. Now that I'm informed, I think it actually looks pretty cool.
Below, you can find pictures of a typical classroom here.
There aren't really any bulletin boards nor can you find student work hanging all over the walls. This is mainly because there really isn't any student work to hang up. Czech students rarely complete projects, whether individual or group. They do not do research projects or papers. They rarely do creative pieces of artwork related to class topics. A Czech education tends to focus on mere memorization of facts and dates, which is what you would find more in an American college or university atmosphere. Sometimes I wonder if we baby American children too much rather than prepare them for the real world. Then again, a lot of professions require group collaboration, projects, and presentations. Maybe America needs to combine its educational philosophies with those of the Czech Republic.
In each classroom, a Class teacher is responsible for putting some type of decoration on the wall regarding his or her students. Here they did a spoof of Facebook.
Some of the classrooms have technology, such as white boards, projectors, and Smart boards, but most of the teacher's don't really use them, which is very similar to America. The older teachers have no interest in learning a new skill or how to enhance their teaching with new techniques. They require just chalk and a board and their voice. The good news about these classrooms are that the chalkboards open up so you can continue writing without erasing. Also, they are moveable for shorter and taller teachers.
Now, I'm not saying that technology all of a sudden will make you a great teacher and all students will automatically start fully comprehending all the material. I'm just saying that technology makes learning more fun, especially because you can connect with the younger generation more. The teenagers thrive off of technology and use it constantly. If you want to connect with your students, you need to know the technology lingo. You need to learn and take a general interest in their hobbies and likes and dislikes. The moment the students realize you genuinely care about their lives is the moment they start caring about your class and doing their work.
This is the hallway to my office. It's colorful in the fact that it's yellow and green, but otherwise you will notice there are no bulletin boards full of student work here either.
I felt so honored the day I walked to my office and found that my name had been added to the sign stating which teachers could be found in this office! The Mgr. means that they completed their Master's degree.
I share my office with two men; the only men in the English Department. It's a tad bit messy, but an "organized mess" as they like to put it. The school is really like a college atmosphere. Teachers have offices instead of classrooms. I'll get more into the school set-up in my next post.
They also love England. I've decided it's mainly because it's the closest English speaking country as well as easier and cheaper to travel to than America. Perhaps I'll buy an American flag to add to the room!
Of course, I'm a neat freak, so my desk looks relatively boring compared to the rest of the office.
My officemates!
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| Mire, Me & Vasek |
The English Department is actually one of the largest in the school. This picture is unfortunately missing two of my colleagues, Jitka and Milena. Nevertheless, this is my Czech family; the ones who have been so helpful and accommodating throughout my stay. They have definitely made my Fulbright experience an amazing, memorable one thus far!
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| Top: Me, Romana, Marketa, Monika, Mire, Jana, Eva Bottom: Vasek, Zdenka |
